Robotic pollution-aware fish released to the wild

Posted May 23, 2012 - 09:09
by
Raven Lovecraft

There are now robots swimming alongside real fish.

That is, at least in a specific area of the Spanish port of Gijon So if you happen to find yourself in that area anytime soon, know that if you look in the water what you're seeing might be robotic creatures that are designed to test the water for pollutants.

This helps in reducing the amount of time it takes to survey large bodies of water from weeks to just seconds. British consultancy group BMT Group, which is at the helm of the project, hopes to sell the fish to local port authorities.

The company is also eyeing water utility companies as well as large-scale aquariums, researchers, and anyone else who might have a vested interest in cleaning up nature's precious resource.

They swim just like real fish but are equipped with sensors that can pick up pollutants, and then transmit relevant data up to a couple miles away. Although each fish swims independently and autonomously, they do communicate with one another to avoid redundancy.

"Chemical sensors fitted to the fish permit real-time, in-site analysis, rather than the current method of sample collection and dispatch to a shore based laboratory," said BMT Group scientist Luke Speller.

Their release into a sea at Gijon marks the first time they have been taken out of a laboratory environment. Anyone curious in buying one will have to have deep pockets, though. An individual pollution-tracking robot fish costs $31,600.

Right now the company's goal is simply to reduce costs and create awareness.